the blog of a bookish, nut-allergic girl

The Burrito Bowl Book Tag

Thanks so much to Cristina from Girl in the Pagesfor tagging me in this deliciously awesome tag! Although I have never eaten at Chipotle before, I know that they are NUT FREE! I’ve been meaning to go to one for ages but I’ve just never had the chance. But without further ado, let’s get rolling with the Burrito Bowl Book Tag!

Rules:

Thank the blogger who nominated you to make your own burrito bowl, linking back to their site.

Answer the tag questions.

Tag 5 others to create their own bowl!

Food coma.

The Ingredients:

Rice: The Foundation –“The book that got you into reading (or book blogging)”

Even though I would love to be able to say that something amazing like Harry Potter had gotten me into read, I’m afraid that my love of bookishness began even before that wonderful series entered my life. When I was younger I LOVED animals, and I can distinctly remember reading Puppy in a Puddle by Ben M. Baglio on the bus on the way to and from school. It was the first “chapter book” I ever read and I was so proud of myself once I finished it. I can’t believe I was able to find a picture of it online all these years later!

Beans: The Filler –“The book with a whole lot of nothing going on”

About a week ago I finished reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, and boy, it was a bit difficult to get through. Of course, I’d be lying if I said absolutely nothing happens- there are bullfights, relationship issues, and plenty of traveling- but it felt so slow paced that it was as if nothing were happening. I felt like all the characters did was drink and go see bullfights, and that was about it. I get that it’s about the Lost Generation and everyone is trying to find what they should do with their lives now that WWI is over, but a little bit more direction in the plot would have been appreciated!

Protein: The Building Block – “A book quote to live by”

How could I do a tag without mentioning the beloved Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling? There are countless inspiring quotes in this series, but one of my absolute favorites is the following:

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

This is from J.K. Rowling’s novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and I always try to remember it whenever I feel bogged down in work or plans for the future. It’s helpful to be prepared for what may happen next, but I think it’s just as important (if not more) to live life in the moment and find happiness with where you currently are in life.

Fajitas: The Crunch of Texture –“A book with immaculate world-building”

There are so many fantastic books to choose for this one, but I’m going to go with another more recent read and say Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman. This is the sequel to Seraphina and it includes so many new places and cultures within this unique fantasy world. Not only are there interesting far away lands involved, but there are also complex politics between dragons and humans.

Salsa: The Dance of Flavour –“A book that kept you on your toes”

For this one I’m going with The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, because it’s such a gripping and suspenseful story. It’s starts out with one of the best mysterious scenarios I’ve ever read: Myfanwy Thomas suddenly wakes up in the body of another girl, with no memory of who she was previously or whose body she now controls. I have no idea why this book isn’t more popular- it’s absolutely amazing!

Basically the entirety of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I adore how they both love each other for who they are, despite their faults and flaws. It’s so refreshing to see that type of relationship in the YA contemporary romance genre, because a lot of times romances happen between seemingly perfect characters. There’s nothing stereotypical about Eleanor or Park, and I applaud Rainbow Rowell for making that choice when writing!

Cheese: The Bond of Calcium – “Two characters from different books you wish could be friends”

I think that Isabel Lightwood from City of Bones by Cassandra Clare and Lila from A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwabwould be really good friends because they’re both adventurous, tough, and independent young women. I can picture them fighting crime together and kicking butt in general. They would be such a fearsome, sassy pair!

Oh, what a cool (and difficult!) question! The quirkiest character I can think of off the top of my head is probably Colin Singleton from An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. He only dates girls named Katherine, he anagrams for fun, and he views relationships as math equations- that’s a pretty quirky character if you ask me!

Guacamole: The Cost of Creaminess –“A book you paid too much for”

When I was in middle school I bought hardback copy of The Scorch Trials by James Dashneras soon as it hit bookstore shelves, and immediately after reading it I regretted my purchase. I paid a normal price for it (probably a little under twenty dollars for a hardback copy at the time) and I thought it was a horrible sequel to The Maze Runner. I recently got rid of it because it was just sitting on my shelf collecting dust and taunting me (at least, that’s what it felt like it was doing!). Whatever the price of it was, I paid far too much for it!

Lettuce: The Handful of Crispness –“A refreshing concept/theme in a book”

When I read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr I thought it was so refreshing to see a story in which romance is not the main focus. Romance really only comes into play towards the end of this breathtaking historical fiction novel, and even then it is really more like friendship than anything else. So many books nowadays narrowly focus in on romantic relationships, so I appreciated a break in this common theme.

I recommend this book to anyone and everyone nearly on a daily basis, so it’s only fitting that I include it here. If you like YA fiction (or reading in general, to be honest) you seriously need to read Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. I have read this book numerous times and each time I get to the last page I want to go back and read it all over again. I highly, HIGHLY recommend it! (Translation: PLEASE GO READ IT RIGHT NOW!)

Tabasco: The Kick to the Face – “Your favorite fight/action sequence”

Here’s yet another recent read for me: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab. There are some epic fight scenes in this novel involving magic, which in my opinion are some of the best kind of fight scenes there are. The fights at the end are especially awesome, because you never know how the magic will be used next. Not to mention the fact that Kell is an amazing magician!

Tag, you’re it!

As always, you can still participate in this tag if I didn’t tag you! If you do end up taking part in the deliciousness of this tag, please leave me a link in the comments section below so I can see your awesomeness!

Again, thanks so much Cristina for tagging me! This is such a fun, creative tag to do and it certainly makes you hungry!

What books would you pick for these ingredients? What do you think of the books I picked? Let me know in the comments section below!